Abject Abyss

Amazingly atmospheric horror game. Loved the lovecraftian and body horror elements with the monster designs in particular were quite unique and cool. This game is really good at creating and holding tension as well as delivering little drips of interesting lore. The writing is competent, not being overly long but still being interesting to read and there was even a couple comedic moments, atleast I think they were meant to be comedic, which actually made laugh. Game was well optimised and ran great and I don't think I ran into any bugs during my playthrough which is impressive for a solo developer. I didn't find the enemies as hard to escape from or fight off as some other reviewers did as I mostly just stealthed around each encounter, I didn't end up even using my gun. The only issues I have with the game is that it felt a bit too easy to stealth out of encounters as enemies move in very predictable paths and in moments when they are alerted to sounds you make in another room theyll usually just run to the centre of the room you're hiding in, stand around for a minute then walk off. This does lead to some great tense moments but ultimately hurts the illusion of how dangerous the monsters actually are. Personally I would have prefered if they had potentially tried a bit harder to find the player or were more unpredictable in their routes. The other issue I have is that its a bit short, but since its a debut title from this developer I dont mind as much. Despite this I really enjoyed the game, would absolutely recommend if you're into atmospheric sci fi lovecraftian horror, and am excited to see what this developer comes out with next.

Died too many times and ending was VERY anti-climactic. Also WAY too much reading. Some voice overs on some of the reading would have been nice.

“Abject Abyss” is a 1st-person sci-fi horror survival game, with strong influence from “Alien: Isolation” and “Thief” (sneaking and sound mechanics), Dead Space (biomass) and Doom 3 (station interior design). You’ll experience a disaster on a planetary deep space research station several hundred years in the future through the eyes of a mechanic who’s trying to find a way out. It’s a short but atmospherically dense adventure of a new developer. After about 3 hours of play time in a normal approach, here’s my pros / cons list: Pros: + dark, dense atmosphere + claustrophobic feeling within the confines of the station + mysterious developments + simple game design and mechanics + minimalistic HUD + small riddles + sneaking mechanics well done + different noise levels depending on the surface and your walking speed + very eerie when you encounter the first enemy + good, unique soundtrack + shock effects well placed + good surface section, breaking up the overall tube-like feeling of the game a bit + lore giving some background + great debut for a new developer Cons: - Graphics or visual design could have been a bit more varied - Framerate performance issues (especially in the concourse level) despite high-end hardware - Some game crashes in the first few levels - Some sound effects missing, e.g. a tremor effect during the earth quake event - Glow rod too bright after upgrades - Generic human experiment setting - Missing a chapter selection after finishing the game for achievement / secret hunters - Ending does leave lots of questions open Conclusion: Though short, this horror game is a good minimalistic experience considering being the debut of a developer. If you can overlook some small shortcomings, you’ll have a few intense hours playtime. Recommended! Rating: 6/10 points

If you're looking for action, then keep looking. If your play-style is brute force, then you'll get your butt kicked. This game is all about suspense, and requires stealth because you’re just a regular old weak human. The monsters remind me of the Many in System Shock 2, but the game plays more like Alien Isolation. Thankfully, the AI isn’t as brutal as Alien Isolation, for they patrol areas, and they’re not always hunting you right on top of your position. Also, their vision isn’t that great, so it’s easy enough to sneak. It also has the isolation of System Shock 2, where you only get glimpses of other humans. The atmosphere of the game is an interesting mix of clean and modern, but somehow scary. I think it’s the audio that makes it feel so oppressive. It does an awesome job building up to the first encounter with a monster, but in the preview video, I thought it was going to have the weirdos following/stalking and peaking around corners at you but sadly that wasn’t a feature. One of the best moments is the isolating trek outdoors, behind you is an encroaching darkness, and then you have to walk across the frozen lake with cracking ice to reach your destination, no way back. You can’t save whenever you wish which adds to the suspense, but sadly you also cannot go back to a previous save, so it’s only forward. There's no maps and not much hand-holding, it's up to you to figure it out. So, it can be mildly confusing at times, but it's not rocket science. The place can be a labyrinth, so I did cheat and use my cell phone to snap photos of the area maps. There's plenty of places to hide when necessary, and even when unnecessary. Overall, if you’re the type of masochist who enjoys the anxiety this type of game creates, then you’ll love it like I did. I think I'll play through again to see the other ending.

A good, but short, game. Interesting diversion. Exploration and simple puzzles, with monsters you have to avoid rather than fight.

Pretty good.

Great game. The monster design were unique and creepy. Builds tension really well. Didnt quite understand some elements of the lore - prob just didnt explore enough. But still really enjoyed it overall

great game

Abject Abyss nails the "isolated horror" vibe from start to finish. Performance was smooth the whole way through, no crashes or stutters even with all the graphical bells and whistles cranked up. It's on the shorter side, but that works in its favor — there's no padding, just a tight, atmospheric experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. The story is good. You play as a technician piecing together what went wrong at one of a massive corporation's most advanced research facilities on a remote, far-flung world. It's all about isolation, discovery, and how small humanity feels in a vast, uncaring void — the kind of slow-burn dread that builds as you dig deeper into what actually happened there. You'll need to stay hidden, stay quiet, and run when things go bad, scavenging notes and supplies along the way that flesh out the mystery without ever spelling it out for you. No spoilers, but the payoff is worth the tension. If you're into atmospheric sci-fi horror with a strong sense of place and a story that rewards paying attention, this one's well worth the playtime. 9/10!

I'm not usually a horror game kind of guy, but I picked this up on a whim, and I'm so glad I did. The atmosphere is dripping with tension. From the oppressive lighting to the nerve-racking sound design, I was on the edge of my seat from the first hour to the last. It throws some genuinely interesting themes and ideas at you, though I'll admit a lot of it went over my head. Be prepared to read. Despite the limited cast, every actor who does appear absolutely nails their performance. The creature designs are fantastic, and it's almost a shame I had to die just to get a proper look at some of them. Gameplay is essentially a sci-fi take on Amnesia: The Dark Descent: see creature, run or hide... (Though at least this time they give you a gun.) The creature sound design, in particular, made me feel especially uneasy. The score was another standout. It's always nice to hear a recurring musical motif in an indie game. If I had one criticism, it's that the environments begin to feel a little repetitive and sterile. Thankfully, that ends up serving the story well as the horror gradually spreads and the world itself begins to change. Overall, I had a great time with this one. Highly recommended.